


The Secrets They Hide

by ThatChloe29



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-07 18:54:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5467385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatChloe29/pseuds/ThatChloe29
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is an auror and is sent to investigate the murder of a muggle family in a small town where he meets Draco. Harry convinces Draco to help him. During the investigation secrets become uncovered and old enemies arise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter woke up on the small bed with a rather terrible headache. At first, this caused a wave of panic to wash over him.

 _It’s okay._ He thought to himself. _He’s dead and you’re safe. Everyone is safe._

He sat up. He shouldn’t have drunk so much Firewhiskey but he had wanted so desperately to forget that day; he wanted to forget what he saw. He had failed. He remembered the scene: the woman with the bright red hair that lay clutching her dead son in her arms and her husband that lay next to her, his right hand reaching for her.

Harry walked into the bathroom, striped the clothes he wore yesterday and threw them on to the floor. After turning the shower on, he got in. He didn’t care that he forgot to take his glasses off. He watched the water droplets fall and roll off the lens. 

“It’s okay. He’s dead and everyone is safe. You’re safe.” He said to him over and over again until he believed them.

He washed his body, hair, and face. Turning off the shower, he stepped out and began to dry himself. He dressed himself in plain grey dress pants, black socks and shoes, and a crisp white button-up dress shirt. It was when he had finished that he actually looked at the clock.

“Bloody Hell.” He muttered. The clock read “7:00 a.m.”. Harry knew that the only place to eat here, _Dave’s Diner_ , probably wasn’t open so instead of putting on his coat, he took out his quill and a roll of parchment and began his letter to Narcissa.

Narcissa, whom Harry always called Mrs. Malfoy because he was slightly scared of her, had written to Harry just as he, Ginny, and Teddy had moved into their small flat in London asking if she could see Teddy. Ginny had said no right away but Harry felt he couldn’t deny her, her family. He wrote back saying that she could come for tea at two next Saturday. When she showed up alone, Harry couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. From then on Narcissa Malfoy always babysat Teddy, who was quite fond of her, when Ginny’s and Harry’s work got the best of their time. Teddy was staying with Narcissa while Harry was investigating the muggle murders because Ginny was staying with her parents to explain to them why she and Harry had canceled the wedding.

He finished up the letter and waited for the owl that was going to deliver _The Daily Prophet._ Harry let his mind wander. He found himself reflecting on the muggle murders again. It was so eerie. He could see how the murders would have taken place.

The young parents sat on the floor watching their son play. The young women’s red hair falling into her face sometimes, snow falling softly to the ground outside their small yet cozy house, the young dark haired man bringing the  tea into the family room, and  the small one-year old child laughing and smiling at his parents. Maybe they heard a knock on the door or the door just opened.  The husband going to investigate but in order to protect his family, he runs back to his wife, his hand outstretched to her and his child.

_“Lily, take Harry and go! It’s him! Go! Run! I’ll hold him off-“_

The voice made him jump. His father’s voice from a memory Harry wished he never had. He ran his fingers through his hair. It was still slightly damp.

He heard a _thump_ against his window. A brown owl stood outside it with his newspaper. He exchanged the letter for the paper. Closing the window, he sat back down and began to read.

The only thing that truly interested Harry was the piece on Hermione and how she was pushing for more rights for werewolves and more research on the cure. Harry couldn’t help but smile. He truly missed Ron and Hermione. He hadn’t been able to actually visit them in a while; though they were always exchanging letters to one another it just wasn’t enough.

Harry got up, grabbed his coat, and left. He couldn’t stand to be in this room anymore.

Wilterson was a small town where everyone knew everyone. Birthdays were town holidays that were celebrated at the town famous and the town’s only restaurant, _Dave’s Diner_ (though the owner was in fact named Albert).

 So when Mrs. Churson, an old woman who had grey hair always tied in a bun, strolled through the freshly fallen snow to deliver some rice pudding she was rather surprised to see the Charleston’s door open just a smidge.

“Annie?” Mrs. Churson had called into the house from the doorway. Mrs. Churson knew something was very wrong and didn’t waste a minute to call the police but she was too late.

Harry had been a little early when he left his hotel, the only hotel in this town, but decided to take a walk.

Wilterson was a beautiful town, especially with the snow. It covered the harsh edges of the world and made them soft. He enjoyed the sound his shoes made as he walked on the snow. It reminded him of Hogsmeade, which made him smile. But soon that smile turned to a frown as Harry remembered how lonely he felt. It wasn’t that Harry’s loved ones turned their back on him, it was more like the opposite but Harry still felt this withdrawal from the world. He had fulfilled his purpose in the world. He defeated Voldemorte. But what else was there? Almost marrying a girl that didn't love him the way she thought he deserved. He remembered  Ginny's face when she told him. Tears ran down her face and she was shaking. He thought of his parents, which lead him to think of Tonks, Lupin, Sirius, and all the others he'd lost. Voldemorte's face materialized from his memories. He jumped and his hand tighted around his wand. He began to shake.

  _It’s okay. He’s dead and you’re safe. Everyone is safe-_

“But everyone wasn’t safe!” He grumbled. He began walking back towards the diner. He pushed the door open and was greeted by a plump pretty young girl. She smiled at Harry.

“Table for one?” She said. Harry nodded. She lead him to a small table that was next to a window.

“Your server will be with you in a moment.”

Harry sat down and looked at the menu but he didn’t really feel like eating.

“What can I get you?” said a familiar voice. Harry looked up.

“Malfoy?”

“Oh, Potter. I guess you’re here because of the Charleston’s death. I was wondering who would get it.”

Harry was speechless. What was Malfoy of all people doing working in a muggle diner? In a small muggle town? As Harry sat there starring at him, a dark thought entered his mind.

_What if Malfoy-_

“Oh, sod off Potter!” Malfoy spat. Harry’s face must have displayed his thought.

“Um. Just coffee.” Harry said quietly. He sank lower in his chair.


	2. Chapter Two

Harry was standing in snow. He was at least mid-café deep in the powdery soft substance. He couldn’t see anything. The whiteness of the ground went on until it met the dark grey sky.

He started walking. He didn’t know why but he couldn’t think of anything else to do. He watched his breathe form into small clouds and then dissipate in front of him. He saw something move in the corner of his left eye and he turned to face it.

It was a strange shape. It looked as if it had two lumps that could be heads. It also moved very awkward and slowly.

As Harry stood there watching the thing move, he realized he wasn’t cold. He also wasn’t wearing a coat but he was wearing a dress shirt wrinkled with wear, simple slacks, socks, and shoes.

He got his wand ready as the thing moved closer to him. He continued to watch it. As it limped closer, Harry could distinguish features. The two lumps were in fact two heads. One head had bright red hair that fell in its face and the other with brown hair.

“Mother?!” Harry gasped. He took off sprinting toward the limping thing. As Harry got closer, he realized it wasn’t one solid body but two. The one was a woman with red hair, who supported a young man with her left arm and held a baby her right.

He stopped.

“Mrs. Charleston.” Harry said soberly. He was slightly out of breath.

“Help us.” She pleaded.

Harry started running toward them again when an inky black arm shot out of the snow and grabbed Mrs. Charleston. She fell, along with the young man, into the snow. When Harry reached where they fell in the snow, he saw a black pool in the shape of their bodies.

“Jump in” A voice slithering in his head. Harry wanted too.

“It’ll all go away. The memories, the dreams, the pain.” He scrambled away from the strange pool. His back hit someone. Harry turned to see his father glaring down at him. Harry was suddenly encircled by everyone he’d lost. They trapped him next to the pool. His mother, his father, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Fred, Cedric, Mad eye. They glared at him.

“Because of you!” They all shouted at him.

“Because of you! Because of you! Because of you!”

Harry covered his ears with his hands in hope to muffle their voices but it was to no relief. Their voices were like a knife. They stabbed at Harry. Repeatedly.

Harry hadn’t realized he had moved till he found the tips of his shoes at the edge of the black pool. 

“Stop, please stop.” He whimpered as tears ran down his cheeks.

“You won’t hear them.” The same voice said. “You’ll hear nothing.”

Those that surrounded him began to move closer to him. He had no choice. He jumped in.

Harry jolted awake. He cursed as the empty Firewhiskey bottle fell off the small desk and onto the floor. On the desk lay a mixture of muggle and magically photographs. Though you couldn’t tell which was which as the magically ones were of the Charleston’s dead bodies. He didn’t know why the muggle ones were mixed in but he hated looking at them. The muggle ones included: Annie Charleston smiling and laughing with her husband next to her or alone, Jason kissing his wife on the cheek or smiling at baby Jacob in his arm with Annie laughing at something off camera.

They made him feel sick.

He looked at himself in the mirror that hung on the wall in front of him. He had a blurry memory of his drunken self looking at his reflection and laughing hysterically.

“Why do you do this to yourself?” He asked the reflection. It was a stupid question, one that he knew the answer to. He allowed himself to believe the same lies he always told himself.

_You need this. You deserve this. You can’t do this without it._

He looked down at his notes. He only had one sentence written:

You can’t do this alone

He groaned. Even his drunken self could see it.

_Draco knows the people here. He can help_. He thought to himself. _Plus if you solve one mystery you might be able to solve the other._

He got up from his chair and grabbed his coat and shoes. He had made up his mind.

***

“You’re a bloody idiot!” Harry said to himself. He had no idea where Malfoy lived. He had walked to the diner and after loitering outside till he was sure he wasn’t working, he left.

Now he walked aimlessly in the snow muttering to himself.

“Hey!” Someone called but Harry didn’t hear.

“Hey you!” The same person called and again Harry only had ears his grumbling and occasional swearing to himself for his stupidity.

Harry stopped his gripe when a snowball hit the back of his head. He turned to see a short brown haired girl scowling at him. The girl, now seeing that she had his attention, began running toward him.

She stopped about half a foot away from him. Breathing slightly winded, she asked:

“You’re the one investigating Annie’s-Er- the Charle-Charleston’s passing?”

“Y-yeah.” Harry replied aghast by the encounter.

“Well…Do a good job.” She said waving her finger at him. “Buddy.” She added as she poked his shoulder for good measure. Harry noticed how her hand shook and her brown eyes had tears in them. She turned away from him and began walking away.

“Wait!” Harry called after her. She stopped. Harry jogged to meet her.

“What’s your name?”

“Karen.” She said softly.

“Can you direct me to where Draco Malfoy lives, Karen?”

She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Why do you want to know?”  She asked defensively, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “If you think he had a part in it. You’re wrong. Draco would never-“

“I don’t think he did anything. I just have a few questions.”

She was quiet for a moment, contemplating.

“I’ll tell you.” She finally said, smiling.

***

Harry knocked on the white door. He hoped Karen had given him the right directions and hadn’t lead him to somewhere else.

“It’s open.” He heard Draco call from the over side of the door.

Harry walked in.

The flat was small. The front door opened to the lounge that had the kitchen in the back of the room. The only distinction between the lounge and the kitchen was the small island. The wall next to Harry had three dark wooden bookshelves that matched the wooden floor. There was a small love seat parallel to the bookshelves and a small table with a chair tucked in the right corner. There was a small corridor on the left side of the lounge.  

“You can just throw it on the sofa, Karen.” Draco said from the kitchen. He stood over the stove, concentrating on the two pots, one he stirred quite vigorously

“Want some spaghetti? I, as usual, made a copious amount.”

Receiving no reply, Draco turned to find Harry standing in his doorway.

“Get out.” Draco sneered.

“Malfoy, would you just-“

“I said ‘Get out’!”

“Listen to me.”

Draco’s features hardened. His jaw set. His eyes a cold grey.

“I need your help.” Harry pleaded. “I can’t solve this on my own. I don’t know the people here. You live here. You must have at least interacted with the Charlestons once or twice.”

“You’re wrong.” Draco said. “and I won’t help you.”

“Why not?” Harry snapped.

“You thought I did it!”

“It was a moment of weakness!”

“You thought I killed people!”

“I was just tired!” Harry bellowed. “I’m so tired.” He whispered. Draco’s whole demeanor softened as Harry spoke the words.

“I can’t help you.” Draco said, turning back to face the stove again.

“Oh, come on Draco!”

“Get out.” Draco said through clenched teeth. Harry left, slamming the door behind him; causing Draco to jump.

***

“Insufferable Potter” Draco grumbled. He stirred his sauce. He was tiring not to burn it this time.

“’It was a moment of weakness’ he said. What a bunch of rubbish!” He scoffed.

“Hello, Draco” Said a voice that terrified him so much he froze in place.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took me like 80,000 years to write.


	3. Chapter Three

_If he hurts you, you must do it._

The small girl thought to herself. She sat in a fireplace that hadn’t been lit for quite some time. She didn’t care if soot or ash got on her or her dress. It was ragged, ruined, threadbare, and a colorless grey. She had a mop of dark, greasy, unwashed curls that weighed her down.

Outside of the fireplace was a one roomed cabin. There was a kitchen space that included two counters, a sink, and a stove. They were hurriedly assembled and looked as if a simple draft could cause them to collapse. There was a small kitchen table. In the past it could have been described as lovely but now it was stained and wobbled. There were four chairs around the table. On the other side of the room was a bed. The girl didn’t sleep in it. It made her feel open; she could easily be seen. Plus Goyle was passed out on it. She preferred the fireplace. Here she couldn’t be so easily seen. Easily noticed. Goyle forgot about her when she was here.   

She picked at a stain on her dress, trying to decide if it was blood or food or neither.

_You should wash it._ She thought to herself. _He’ll be upset if he finds you like this._ Goyle had said if he saw him again he’d kill him. He called him a traitor.

_Goyle’s not going to be here when he comes. You’re going to get rid of him._

_Only if he hurts me._

_He will._

“Whatcha doin’ in there?” Grumbled Goyle. He grabbed her ankle and yanked her out of her hiding place. He flung her on her back and then slapped her.

_He hurt you_

_Not as bad as he could have_

Goyle smelled like alcohol or at least more than he usually did.  The small amount of liquid in the bottle that he clutched in his right hand sloshed. She hadn’t noticed him get up from the bed. He was an unnaturally quiet man. She rolled away from him. She stood up and looked at Goyle.

He had never told her what had happened. What caused everyone to flee. Why she had to remain here. Every time she had asked, he hit her.

“What ya lookin’ at?” He challenged.

_He hurt you._

_Not as bad-_

_You promised!_

_I know_

“I said ‘what ya lookin’ at?’!”

“Nothing.” The girl whimpered.

“That’s what I thought.” He chugged the rest of the liquid. He threw it on the ground. She jumped.

_You have to do it_

_I won’t become like him_

_You already have_

The memory of what she had done came back to her with such furiously it made her jump. He had been so kind to her that day. He told her that he would come back; her friend would return if she did it. She should have known better but she desperately wanted to believe that her friend would come back for her; that he was alive. Then Goyle had called him a traitor. He told her her friend was gone. That he had chosen the wrong side.

_He won’t return with him here_

“Clean it up.” Goyle spat. She didn’t move. Goyle still stood next to the shattered bottle. She was terrified.

“What did I say.”

She walked over and began picking up the glass. When she had finished she started walking away with the glass in her hands.

“Ya think ya so special don’t ya? A prodigy they called ya. Now look at ya. Ya nothin’. “

“I am not nothing.”  She shot back. She hadn’t meant too. The words had forced their way up her throat and out of her mouth.

_Now you’ve done it_

He charged at her. She scampered to get out of his way but found her back meeting the wall. She had nowhere to go. His hand gripped her throat.

_He’s going to kill you for that_

_No, he’s not._

She knew he wouldn’t kill her. The only way he would kill her is with his wand and she broke that long ago.

He hovered over her. Seething. He slammed her head into the stone wall. The pain flooded over her body and she saw colors in her vision.

Then she grabbed his throat with her free hand.

This caused Goyle to gasp in surprise. She never fought back. She never truly challenged him.

“Now now…” He said. He’d sobered up rather quickly. She kept her hand on his throat and started pushing him back until his back was against the opposite wall. Goyle regained his senses and pushed her to the ground.

“You will learn not to challenge me.” He said. He dug his nails into her shoulders. She cried out in pain. She raised her left arm until her hand could grasp his throat. He didn’t waiver. His eyes burned with anger.

The girl pierced his skin with her nails. She dug them further.

“I won’t kill you with magic.” The girl said. “You don’t deserve that.”

She slashed his throat with a piece of glass. Then she slashed again and again. She pushed him on the ground and sliced his throat again. She could hear him try to say something but he couldn’t.

_You did it_

_He hurt me_

 She watched the blood pour out of her cuts. She laid down next to him. She felt his blood being to pool next to her. She closed her eyes.

“Come back, Draco. Come back.” She whispered.


End file.
